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Gift Shop * Programs * Group Guidelines * Museum Rules * Space Science * Pictures * Map * Placeto Eat * Educ. Materials * Floor Map

The Children's Museum offerings:

Our museum offers a safe, enjoyable, interactive learning environment with 3 floors of interactive exhibits, a 4th floor open twice a day, and eating space! Be among the educators who take advantage of a field trip to the Children's Museum. Kids, from 1 to 101 love them and learn from them, and from the interactiveness of our 60 Pavilions, housing 1000's of educationally enjoyable hands-on exhibits. Our mission is to continue the passion for making the only Children's Museum in Central New York one of the best in the country.

What better place to bring...

• your students on a field trip?
• your scouts to earn a badge?
• your daycare children on an outing?
• your family for a great day out?
• your group for a meeting or a tour?

In addition to the Daily Visit Activities at The Children's Museum, following are some of the 100's of exhibits we house:

NOTE: We have special Summer Activities & Winter Break activities * Check out our Monthly Event Flyer on our New Stuff page.

History:
* Dino Digs! - In our paleontoloy center, explore pre-historic life, learning about the mighty dinosaurs who roamed this earth for a million years.
* Erie Canal - View and read and learn about the tremendous impact the Erie Canal made in our area in our Erie Canal Hall of Fame.
* Citizens & Voters Facts - View the voting machine used in the 2000 FL elections and test your knowledge of questions to become an American Citizen.

Space:
* NASA exhibits - View our exciting 4th floor NASA exhibits, including the Mars Rover, Lunar Lander, Rockets, and Space Theatre.
* Astronauts & Spinoffs - Find out what comes back to us from the NASA flights, what astronauts wear and eat, etc.

Living Science:
* Cute Critters - Discover the mysterious life of honeybees and insects. Learn how we care for and feed the various animals in our museum’s Living Science Center.

Science:
* Science Explorers - girls and boys to explore the sciences through hands-on experimentation and scientific observation, using our computer programs
* Space Place - Discover the secrets of the stars, moons, planets, and outer space. Learn how space travel has influenced what we do here on Earth
* Weather Phenomenon – Browse through our interactive weather web page, and view videos and DVD's on weather in our weather room!

Creating:
* Lego Challenge - parents or caregivers join children in teams to compete to develop the most creative solution to the museum’s lego challenge.
* Truck & Dino Digs - children love putting the "bones" together to create the dinosaur, and play construction in our truck dig.

Music & Entertainment:
* Musical Mayhem - If you can sing, dance, play an instrument, jump or jam, you’ll enjoy exploring our second floor Musical Stage with Karaoke.
* CM Radio Room - We have one of the only live radio stations in a Children's Museum

Collections:
* Barbie Dolls + - Our second floor doll collection features Barbie Dolls, Clown Dolls, and a Community Dollhouse.
* Hot Wheels - We have one, if not the, largest collection of hot wheels for viewing, covering the various decades from its inception to present.

Art:
* Crafty Creations - There's often various activities going on in our Arts & Crafts area, along with free coloring pages the children may take home.
* Native American - Numerous artifacts can be found in our Iroquois Longhouse and our Trading Post

Sports:
* International Halls of Fame for Bicycling, Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking - The hall includes bikes & kayaks gets can climb onto & into, along with numerous artifacts.
* The Mohawk Valley's Cradle of Baseball - The walls depict the numerous baseball legends from right here in our area.

Reading:
* Puppet Theatre – Children love acting out parts in our Dinosaur Puppet Theatre
* Rotary Reading Room - Enjoy the "4 Way Test" DVD running with activities.
* Playspace Library - For use with children under the age of three

~ View our monthly program/event flyer ~ View our directions ~ Contact us or Email us

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Guidelines for School & Day-Care Groups

Welcome to the Children's Museum. Our diverse collection of hands-on exhibits and educational programs is an invaluable resource for school groups in the Central New York area and more than 150,000 visitors a year. Enjoy your visit! To ensure the health and safety of your students and all of our visitors, we ask that you review the following guidelines with students prior to your visit to CM. Supervision of students in the Museum is imperative; unsupervised students or children should not wander around the Museum.

Our guidelines are one (1) responsible adult chaperone for every six (6) students to make the most of your educational experience. This adult/student ratio is particularly important on the upper floors. General - Running is not permitted anywhere in the Children's Museum, nor is swinging on the curtains on our stage area. Portable radios, cassette, or disc players that are audible to other visitors in the Museum are not permitted. Shirts and shoes must be worn at all times while in the Museum, except for children under 5 while they are in PlaySpace. For everyone's safety, do not pet or taunt animals in our Living Science Area. Thank you for reviewing these CM rules with students and chaperones. By observing these guidelines and supervising students, you are also helping to ensure the health and well-being of our ever-growing children's museum for present and future generations.

Time Frame - We book groups for a two hour Visit, which gives your group a half hour on each of our four floors. If you are going to be staying for lunch, we'll book your group for two and a half hours. Arrival times are usually between 9:30am and 10:00am. Departure is usually between 11:30am and 1:00pm.

A Before-You-Visit Review Suggestion - Before you review this list of guidelines with your school group, ask your students to first list ways that the Children's Museum is different from a Park or Zoo. A partial list of rules for appropriate behavior and conduct may emerge from this discussion based on a student's experience and understanding of all that the Children's Museum has to offer. You can then review any remaining rules and guidelines on this sheet that have not been raised by your students.

Educational Materials - Teachers of groups that book programs are given educational handout materials for each of their students on the visit, for them to reinforce what's learned on the field trip.

Traveling by Bus - Buses should drop off students at our front entrance on Main Street, by the Museum Entrance sign. After students disembark, buses may park further down Main Street or in the Parking Lot across from the Museum. Signs for Children's Museum parking are fully visible.

Accessibility for Physically Challenged: We have a ramp right next to the Main entrance for wheelchairs and others who may have trouble navigating the few steps to the Museum's entrance. While we encourage groups to use our beautiful oak stairway to visit the upper floors, we do have an elevator that goes to all floors. Restrooms are available on the first floor. To pix* To top * To text

Food & Beverages & Eating Space:

Food, Snacks, Lunches - a place to eat. For safety reasons, food & beverages are not allowed anywhere on the floors or in our exhibit areas. Visitors may bring bag lunches or snack to eat in our 1st floor Kitchen/Birthday room - which holds up to 40 people at a time, or on our 1st floor bench by our museum back door, or on the picnic table on our covered train platform outside our door, or (weather permitting) in the historic park outside. We have snack bags (chips etc.), soda, juice, and water available for purchase. You may also get your hand stamped and drive to a local restaurant (there are several within a mile) and return after lunch.

Saturday's we host birthday parties, so 1st Kitchen/Birthday room may or may not be available. If this is the case, individuals may eat on the bench by our back door, or on the bench out by the train, or on the benches in the park. We can also accomodate groups who pre-book visits on Saturday's.

General - Running is not permitted anywhere in the Children's Museum, nor is swinging on the curtains on our stage area. Portable radios, cassette, or disc players that are audible to other visitors in the Museum are not permitted. Shirts and shoes must be worn at all times while in the Museum, except for the under 5 children while they are in PlaySpace. For everyone's safety, do not pet or taunt animals in our Living Science Area.

Museum Gift Shop

Gift Shop - Our CM Gift Shop is open daily with items priced from $1. to $20. and many at only $2. or $3. Among the gifts are space science related items, our Children's Museum mug and ornament, along with a neat variety of items.

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Meetings and/or Tours:

Our diverse collection of hands-on exhibits and unique meeting space is an invaluable resource for groups. Book your meeting or visit today!

Accessibility for Physically Challenged: We have a ramp right next to the Main entrance for wheelchairs and others who may have trouble navigating the few steps to the Museum's entrance. While we encourage groups to use our beautiful oak stairway to visit the upper floors, we do have an elevator that goes to all floors. Restrooms are available on the first floor.

For more information, check out our Meetings page; call us at 315-724-6129, or email us so we can check to see if the dates you want are avilable.

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Museum Hours:
OPEN Monday, Thursday, Saturday 9:30am - 2:00pm. NOTE: Come early- doors open at 9:30 a.m. To ensure enough time to enjoy your visit, no admissions are allowed one hour before closing. Closing time is 2:00pm. We reserve the right to close early on any given day which has no visitors in before 1:00pm.The 4th floor is open 11:15-11:45am & 12:45-1:15pm. Hours are subject to change. (we're opening earlier due to member & educator requests, thus closing earlier)

Holiday Weeks & School Closing Hours:
The museum is open on the following national holidays:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Winter Break, Spring Break
The museum is closed on the following holidays:
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Check our Online Calendar for special event & holiday schedule, renovation closings, etc.

Admission (at the door):
$7.00 children 2 to 17; $8.00 Seniors; $9.00 Adults
Members and children under 2 years of age Free
Admission enables you to view and intereact with all exhibits on all four floors.
Last admission one hour before closing.
NOTE: While we are a not-for-profit, we receive no funding for operations from the City, County, State, or Federal government

Group Rates (pre-booked):
Group Rates - Visit & Self-guided Tour of 4 floors (pre-booked):
$6.75 per person in groups of 15-24 (visit only)
$6.00 per person in groups of 25-49 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$5.50 per person in groups of 50-74 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$5.25 per person in groups of 75-99 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$5.00 per person in groups of 100 or more (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
(One teacher or adult chaperone is required for every six students, and will be admitted at no cost. Additional chaperones pay the visit rate. Includes pre/post information).

Group Rates - Visit or Tour plus Educational Program (pre-booked):

$7.00 per person in groups of 25-49 (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$6.50 per person in groups of 50-74 (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$6.25 per person in groups of 75-99 (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$6.00 per person in groups of 100+ (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
(One teacher or adult chaperone is required for every six students, and will be admitted at no cost. Additional chaperones pay the visit rate. Includes pre/post educational materials. (you can combine classes to reach reduced numbers).

(Coupons not valid with group pricing) Daily activities and viewing of all four floors is included in the admission price, visit fee, and program fee. Download group rates form.

Time Frame - We book groups for a two hour Visit, which gives your group a half hour on each of our four floors. If you are going to be staying for lunch, we'll book your group for two and a half hours. Arrival times are usually 9:45am or 10:00am, but can be later if you're traveling in from a distance, and can be 9:30 if you have to leave by 11:30.

Book your program today by calling 315-724-6129, or fill out our easy online form so we can check to see if the dates you want are avilable. (coupons not valid with group rates)

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Educational Enrichment Programs we offer: a great supplement to your classroom or scout activities, with real museum artifacts and exhibits students can touch and interact with! The Museum is a hands-on learning center with emphasis on local history, environmental science, the arts, and space science. The Museum provides educational programs for local school groups, home school groups, scouts, and daycare centers throughout the three county area that we serve, as well as for groups who come in by bus and train from throughout the state. Our Educational Enrichment Programs enhance learning for children of all ages. Teachers & others who book educational field trips are given resource materials for their students to enhance learning after the visit.

Dinosaur and Fossil Programs

Dinosaurs & Fossils (Pre-Kindergarten-2nd grade) Learn about the "terrible lizard" that used to roam the earth. Using puppets & fossils, younger children learn about what dinosaurs did and ate, fossils, teeth, and eggs.

Dinosaurs & Fossils (3rd -6th grade) Older students explore fossils & dinosaurs in detail as well as learn how scientists pieced together clues about the "terrible lizard" from the past to distinguish them, extinction myths, and the Mesozoic era.

Archeological Dig (1st-3rd grade) Utilizing our Paleontological Activity Center, students will go on a dig for artifacts & fossils. They will learn the proper scientific procedure and the work involved in unlocking the mysteries of our past.

Living Science Programs - Animals

Where they go in the Snow (2nd-4th) Winter can be a harsh part of the year for our animal friends. Using puppetry, animal skins & shells, we discuss adaptations of animals in order to survive the winter cold & changing weather.

Making Tracks (Preschool-2nd grade) Studying animal tracks can generate an interest in nature as well as improve observation skills. Instructors present different animal tracks that children will identify and compare to one another.

Living Science Programs - Insects

Going On a Bug Hunt (Preschool-3rd grade) Insect puppets bring to life the amazing world of bugs, insects, and arachnids. Children learn & explore what the difference between the three are & how important each is to our world.

Going On a Bug Hunt (4th - 6th grade) In this program, children explore and learn how important insects, bugs, and arachnids are to our world, the ways scientists have discovered they help humans, & the importance of pollination to earth's population.

Dance of Honeybee (Preschool-4th grade) Culminating with a viewing of our active beehive, children learn the important role of the honeybee, gaining an understanding of the physical & social structure of the beehive and how honey actually gets made.

Music Appreciation Programs

Music on the Move I (Preschool & Nursery) Exercise and music combine to explore movement and rhythm in a fun and healthy way. Instructors will lead children in activities with music. Children play, interplay, dance and sing with tambourines, cymbals, etc.

Music on the Move II (1st - 3rd grades) Exercise and music combine to explore movement and rhythm in a fun and healthy way. Instructors will lead children in activities with music. Children play, interplay, dance and sing with tambourines, cymbals, etc.

Native American Indian Programs

Moccasins & Sneakers (Preschool-3rd grade) Younger students will be introduced to the Iroquois culture. By utilizing Museum artifacts, children will compare and contrast the lives of the Iroquois who lived in the area 100's of years ago, to their own lives.

Moccasins & Sneakers (4-6th grade) Older students will analyze Iroquois life with hands-on Museum artifacts such as tools, clothing & an exact replica of the Longhouse, with attention given to Native American legends & spirits & Iroquois belief system.

The Harvest Feast (Preschool-3rd grade) Through the use of artifacts, soft-sculpture food and music, children learn how the first Thanksgiving was celebrated, and explore types of food the Native Americans and English settlers did and didn't have.

The Harvest Feast (4th - 6th grade) How did the Thanksgiving celebration impact the history of our country? Through the use of artifacts, soft-sculpture food & music, children learn how early Native Americans helped the English settle NYS.

NYS History Programs

History's in the Bag (4th-6th grade or 7th-9th grade) We learn about people from items they owned and used. Here, children analyze historical artifacts, and draw conclusions about the life and work of early CNY residents by what they left behind.

Erie Canal History (4th-6th grade or 7th-9th grade) This program discusses the beginnings of Utica, how it was named, how the Erie Canal impacted life here and throughout the country, as well as folks from the Utica area who created some of our greatest legacies.

Intro to Geology of NYS (1st-6th grade) From volcanic islands to mile thick glaciers, NYS's landscape has been shaped by a variety of geologic forces. Students discover importance of rocks & how geologists use maps/tools to learn more about the earth.

Science Exploration Programs

All Wound Up (2nd-4th Grade) Students will learn about magnetism and build an electromagnet. They will explore properties of electromagnetism in a fun and informative environment.

Different Strokes (2nd - 4th Grade) Students will learn about permanent magnets and explore the properties of magnets and magnetic fields. They will learn how a simple nail can become a permanent magnet.

All Powered Up (4th - 5th Grade) How does an electric circuit work? What is the difference between an in series circuit and parallel circuit? Students will learn about electricity by building some simple electric circuits and compare the way they work.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub (Preschool - 3rd Grade) Principles of static electricity are explored in a fun and informative way. Students will use balloons to learn about attraction and repulsion and even make an electrometer.

Making Gluep (1st - 4th Grade) Can two liquids make a solid? Students will get make their own Gluep as they learn about changes in the state of matter. This is a gooey, fun learning experience.

Mighty Microscopes (3rd-6th Grade) Microscopes reveal a new view of common items. Have you ever seen salt and sugar crystals? Did you know every tiny seed is different? Students will explore these and more with microscopes.

Urban Wildlife - (3rd - 6th Grade) Children will learn that their backyards are home to many different wild animals. They will learn to identify these animals, and why the Utica Marsh & the environment are important?

Space Exploration Programs

Space Science Exploration (Preschool - 3rd Grade) In this program, the children learn about the 100 years of flight and why we explore space. Children will interact with our NASA and Office of Science exhibits and take a "ride" in our airplane!

Space Exploration (4th-6th grade or 7th-9th grade) In this program, children learn how space exploration helps Science and understand the connection between their everyday life and their future through space exploration, scientific discoveries, and the International Space Station. They will observe and interact with our NASA exhibits & artifacts, including Mars Rover/Lunar Lander/Space Shuttle/Rockets.

Mission MARS (1st-3rd Grade) In this program, students will learn about the status of the Mars Rover Spirit & Opportunity missions, and why we need to examine the sites on Mars. They will also help create an Imagine Mars mural.

Mission MARS ((4th-6th grade or 7th-9th grade) See how scientists and engineers on Earth stretched their imaginations to design the best rover system to deal with unpredictable dangerous terrain on Mars, Earth's neighbor, a world much like our own, but much more hostile. They will also take part in a team mission.

Teamwork for a Future in Space ((4th-6th grade or 7th-9th grade) Youngsters will work in teams to design their own unique Space Patch in our new Mission Control Center. Not only will they learn the importance of teamwork, they will emulate what the NASA space teams do when they launch shuttles.

Toys in Space ((4th-6th grade or 7th-9th grade) Would your toys work in zero gravity? NASA astronauts brought a series of toys on a shuttle mission to find out! Now you can do these physics experiments here on earth!

Living in Space ((4th-6th grade or 7th-9th grade) What kind of training do NASA astronauts & Russian cosmonauts go through to live in space? What do you need to know for your 21st century travel, and why is that important for you to know today?

Weather Science Programs

Creating a Tornado (preschool-3rd grade) Students will learn about the formation of a tornado as they hear amazing tornado facts and see pictures of real tornadoes. During a science demonstration, they will experience firsthand how a tornado is formed.

Vortex in a Jar (preschool-3rd grade) As they learn important facts and view storm photos, students will learn what a vortex is and discover the role that it plays in tornado formation. In a hands-on experiment, students will participate in creating a vortex.

Making a Rainbow (preschool-3rd grade) Students will learn how a rainbow is formed and the order of colors in a rainbow. As a result of a hands-on science demonstration, they will observe a rainbow indoors!

The Magic of Clouds (preschool-3rd grade) Students will learn how clouds form and discover how different types of clouds help to predict weather. During a demonstration, students will observe cloud formation in a jar.

Wooly Bears & Weather Folks (3rd - 6th grade) Explore changing weather patterns using prediction techniques of today and yesterday in our Weather Station, & techniques used by local meteorologists and good old American lore.

REGISTER for programs via phone, email Director Marlene or complete our online form. One of the oldest Children's Museum's in the country, founded in 1963, we're the only Children's Museum in the country to have been adopted by both NASA & Dept. of Energy's Office of Science!

~ Check program pricing ~ View our directions ~

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Keep checking the website, pick up flyers in the Museum, and continue to enjoy our fun and educational events in a safe learning environment! View the latest news on our New Stuff Page. And find out more on our About Us page.

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